Guarded
by elevenths
Summary: Kat is single, and perfectly ok with that, thank you very much. But what happens when an accident forces her to spend her whole day in the company of One Direction?  pairing Kat/Harry
1. it was enchanting to meet you

**Note:** this is a story, which means none of it ever happened.

chapter one: it was enchanting to meet you.

_Sunday, 10 pm_

"But Kat, you have to come. Honestly, I think you'd love working with me, and I'm sure that if Braxley sees you there then he'll want to hire you!"

"It's not that simple Mel, you know it isn't, don't you remember when you first applied for the job? You had to go to like a billion interviews. And also, just because I'm unemployed it doesn't mean I have nothing to do, I hav-"

"Yeah but that's just because I didn't know anyone on the inside. Come on Kat, even if Braxley doesn't hire you or anything, at least it will be fun! And I'll just ignore your little comment about being too busy or whatever it is you were about to say. Please, you know I can't do this without you. It will be the first time I ever interview anyone and it will be a pretty big thing, I'm really nervous about it and I need my best friend there with me okay so can you please just do this big sacrifice and come with me ?"

The problem with best friends: they always know how to make you feel guilty and end up doing what they want you to.

* * *

><p><em>Tuesday, 9 am, at the house where the interview would take place<em>

"WHERE THE HELL IS THAT GIRL? I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT SHE WOULD BE SO IRRESPONSIBLE–"

"BRAXLEY CALL DOWN. She's probably just caught up in traffic, it can happen to anyone. And besides, all this yelling won't help with anything, on the contrary."

"Hey, is everything alright?"

"Oh, yes, of course Mr. Payne, we're just having some technical troubles…but they will be fixed soon, don't worry."

I was sat in a corner. I have been sat in a corner for the past 30 minutes. I was going to kill Mel. She said "Be there by eight thirty! Don't be late!" and then look at the irony. She's late. I swear I love that girl like a sister but sometimes it annoys me how she's always late for everything. And how she never picks up her phone! I mean, seriously, what's the point of having a phone if you don't use it!

But, anyways, there I was, pretending to have a really interesting thing to do on my Blackberry, when in fact I was just eavesdropping on the conversation, checking twitter and fake-texting. Oh god I'm so lame. The conversation was pretty interesting though. Braxley, which is Mel's boss, was flipping out because she was late, Maxine, his assistant and only person in the world who seemed to put up with him, was trying to calm down his little fit, and lovely Liam Payne from One Direction was being sweet and asking if everything was okay and if they needed any help.

Yeah… Mel's interview was with One Direction. I guess that explains why she was so nervous on the first place… she's got the biggest crush on Zayn Malik, which is the tall dark and handsome one. Well, if you think about it, they are all handsome, but still. I did think it was funny how Mel had posters of them up her wall. Me? Oh well, I am a girl after all, and of course I thought they were extremely attractive, but their music was not my style, so I didn't pay much attention to them… that is, until now.

I had nothing better to do so I just sat there, examining them (I did it very discreetly, I swear!). They were sitting on the sofa, eating. First there was Niall, the blond Irish one, I remember seeing him in one of their music videos, his voice was my favorite. His accent was lovely too, but, as an American girl living in the UK, all accents were lovely to me (you'd think I'd be used to it by now, but the truth is, accents never fail to make me swoon). Anyways, he seemed really easy-going, laughing at everything, it honestly seemed like all he needed was food and some good company and he would be the happiest man in the world. I liked him already.

Then there was Harry Styles, oh I knew his type. The attention seeker one. Okay, so perhaps I was being a bit judgmental, but there was a reason my walls were up so high, and that reason was boys like him. He just sat there, eating his bag of chips, being cheeky while talking to another guy, Louis I believe? The two kept flirting in such an obvious way I felt almost like an intruder, but I knew it was probably just to be funny and attract attention, so I turned my attention to Zayn instead.

Now, I and Mel were lucky that our taste in men was completely different, because we never fought over a guy ever. But I could see why she liked him. He was the mysterious, quiet one, though he seemed almost vulnerable…the kind of guy that could capture your heart, _and_ make you wet, with a single look.

Finally there was Liam. I could examine him better because I could actually _hear_ him speak. He was talking to Maxine again, wondering what was wrong and offering his help, it was quite cute really, but it reminded me of Mel and of how late she was…

* * *

><p><em>Tuesday, 9 am, somewhere in the middle of traffic<em>

"Daddy, daddy, what is wrong ? Why did you stop?"

"I'm not sure honey, just, stay in the car, I'll be right back"

"What are you doing Walter, we're in the middle of traffic…"

"I have a bad feeling about this, why is that car not moving? I can see a girl's head from the window…"

A few seconds later

"Oh no, Veronica! Call an ambulance! There's a girl here and she's passed out!"

* * *

><p><em>Tuesday, 9:30 am, back at the house<em>

"Maxine, I need to talk to you. She is not here yet, we just got an exclusive interview for our special edition which will be 100% about One Direction and our interviewer. Is. Not. Here. Do you know what this means? I am screwed, we are ALL SCREWED. DO YOU THINK I WILL BE ABLE TO GET ANOTHER DATE WITH THEM? DO YOU? BECAUSE I WON'T, THIS WAS THE ONLY ONE AVAILABLE, I BOOKED THE ENTIRE DAY FOR THIS AND MELISSA IS NOT HERE. SO NOW YOU'LL NEED TO FIX THIS. FIND SOMEONE. ANYONE. I NEED THIS INTERVIEW DONE BY NOON."

"AREN'T YOU IN THE LEAST BIT WORRIED ABOUT MELISSA AT ALL? SHE IS NOT THE BEST AT BEING ON TIME BUT SHE WOULD NEVER MISS THIS. SOMETHING HAPPENED BRAXLEY, AND YELLING AT ME WILL NOT HELP. I CAN'T JUST CONJURE A PERSON OUT OF NOWHERE YOU KNOW? I AM GREAT AT WHAT I DO BUT THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE! THER-"

"I DO NOT CARE! FIND A WAY! THAT'S WHY YOU'RE-"

"BRAXLEY, STOP! I just had an idea…"

* * *

><p><em>9:45, prep room<em>

_Why_ did I get myself into this? Why? WHY?

That was honestly the only thing that was going through my mind as the make-up artist passed yet another layer of blush, and the stylist (at least that's what I assumed she was) went through her huge suitcase to try and find some stilettos or whatever, and 3 other women blow-dried my hair.

I was there, being all sweet and innocent, hoping no one would start to yell at me for being there and cluttering the room, and then Braxley snaps at me and tells me to go get ready because I was substituting for Mel. All I got was a "You're her friend, aren't you? So let's hope you can pull this off that way she won't lose her job and then who knows? You might even get one" and that was it. At least Maxine gave me a notebook with the questions I would ask the boys, god knows I would NOT have been able to improvise, and explained to me how things would work, but I still couldn't wrap my head around it.

I was going to be on TV. And on a magazine. And I was going to spend my whole day being friendly and having a "chat" with one of the most famous boy bands in the UK.

When the prep team decided I was ready (and I might sound like I'm complaining, but, in fact, I looked in the mirror and saw a very pretty girl staring back at me, so really I was thankful for them), I went back into the living area and caught Maxine explaining the whole situation to the boys:

"So, we weren't able to reach Melissa, but her friend happened to be here, her name is Katherine, and she's filling in for her. Kat is a good girl but she might be a bit lost, it's going to be her first interview, so please understand if anything goes wrong, and, again, I'm really sorry for the delay…"

"But is Melissa okay?" – Harry Styles asked, and surprised me; I wouldn't think he'd pay attention to Maxine, let alone worry for Mel. Feeling a bit ashamed of myself, I walked over to where they were, while I gathered up my courage. I would have to say "hi" to 5 of the most famous boys in the kingdom in a few seconds and I really REALLY hoped my voice wouldn't fail me right now.

They noticed me before I reached them. Louis yelled an excited "HELLO" and I couldn't help but smile at the childish but sweet greeting, saying hi back to him. My voice didn't crack but it was extremely low, making me seem like a shy high-schooler. Ugh. Just when I needed to seem cool.

And then Harry Styles, the guy 90% of the female population would kill to be with, gives me a one million dollar smile and says "Hi, my name is Harry, it is enchanting to meet you."


	2. looks can be deceiving

chapter two: looks can be deceiving

Did he _really_ just say that? I could have punched him right across the face. I was in the same room as him for the past hour and he didn't even notice me, but now that I'm wearing a short skirt and have make-up on suddenly he's "enchanted" to meet me? What was he playing at? I'm not comfortable with this. I had to make him see I would not fall for his little act. So I put my best fake smile and said "Yeah, I'm Kat, no need to introduce yourselves though, obviously I know who you are", and then proceeded "Maxine, I suppose I am ready to start, whenever you like". I wanted to sound professional and a bit detached, but the second I said it, I regretted it. I just sounded bitchy and conceited. Fuck.

The boys were still on the couch, but all the food had been cleared out, they only had some cups of water in front of them. They were also wearing different clothes: Harry had pink trousers and a grey blazer, Louis had white trousers, suspenders and a pink bow tie (!), Zayn had white trousers too, but some kind of preppy grey and pink cardigan that I'm not sure how to describe, Niall had jeans, a pink polo shirt and a grey hoodie, and Liam had a checkered pink and white shirt, with jeans. Basically they were matching; it was quite adorable really, and made them look more like a group.

I was feeling a bit ashamed of my previous comment, so I tried to make conversation with them as the crew prepared the cameras and everything. I felt like trying to make amends with them, by making sure they had an okay time. I didn't want them to hate me.

"So, I know you guys have gone through so many interviews already…is there any question that you guys are just sick of answering? Because I have a list here of things to ask, but I could totally cross something out if it'll be annoying…"

"Don't ask us what makes a girl beautiful!" Zayn said

"Nah man, that's not even the worst, how many times have we been asked how it's like to be followed by screaming fans?" Niall joined in the discussion

"No, but the truth is, we are just really glad to be given the opportunity to even answer questions…To think that people would be interested on us like that, that's incredible really" said Liam with his usual polite-ness.

"But you'd think that they'd grow tired of asking us the same questions over and over again" Zayn said, more to himself than to the others

"AWW ISN'T OUR LIAM A TRUE HUMBLE GENTLEMAN?". Louis of course. He then continued with "Come on mate, you have to admit that we do answer the same questions over and over. Like when they ask us which one of us in single. Or who's our celebrity crush".

I laughed, a bit nervously because, as I scanned the questions sheet, I saw that those four were there, the screaming fans one being the actual first question. I suppose I'd have to cross that out now.

"Are you okay?" Niall asked

"Yeah, of course! It's just, to be honest, the four questions you mentioned were here, so now I'm just wondering what to ask in their place…"

"Oh, sorry about that…Umm, let me think, guys what should Kat here ask us?"

"It would be good to actually be asked about the music for once, like, what's it like recording an album, or performing, dunno, stuff like that" Zayn answered

"I really like that idea Zayn, thanks" I smiled back at him; I could see they were starting to look past their first impression of me. Well, not all of them. Harry was sitting on the corner of the sofa, ignoring us all while he texted on his Blackberry looking like he was big shit. Oh, sorry I hurt your pride golden boy.

We then fell into a bit of an awkward silence, but thankfully Niall broke it before it got too weird

"So, you're not from here ey?"

"Haha, yeah, I'm from New York, I've lived in the UK for a couple of years already though..."

"What made you come here?"

"My dad got married to this girl, her name is Kate, and she lived in Birmingham, so we all came to the UK, then I turned 18 and my dad let me move out. Being the city girl that I am, London was just the place for me."

We were cut off by Braxley's voice echoing across the room: "Everyone let's get this started alright? Kat, boys, are you ready? Harry?"

Suddenly butterflies erupted in my stomach. I was really going to do this! OH MY GOD I was going to do this.

The interview went great, I got inspired and managed to ask some pretty interesting questions, about their music (which Zayn answered with a satisfied grin on his face), and also about fame and their lives in general.

Harry answered some questions, but never looking at me directly. The only time he did was when I asked them about fame, and what it was like, having their lives displayed to the whole world like that. He stared right into my eyes and said "Fame might seem awesome but it has its downsides. The problem with showing your life to everyone like that is that they only see a part of it, but think they know everything, and jump to conclusions. It's quite complicated to try and live your life when everyone around you already has a formed opinion on you, and there's nothing you can do about it."

Fuck, that was obviously aimed at me. I couldn't really blame him, I knew he was right. But if there is one thing that's really difficult for me to do is acknowledge being wrong. And all the other boys were sort of staring at him, a bit transfixed, as if Harry never really spoke like that. It didn't help me much. Niall, once again, broke the awkward moment by saying "Yeah, it really is complicated, but we try our best to not let it affect us…" thank god for that boy.

I immediately jumped to the next question, and thankfully the boys were back on track. It was funny how I barely needed to participate much, I'd just throw some things at them and they'd start chatting with each other about whatever it was.

By noon we had a break, and Maxine had set up a lunch table, with more food than I'd ever seen in my life. There was no way that we would eat even half of it. At least that's what I thought, but obviously I hadn't shared a meal with One Direction before. I sat between Niall and Louis, and to be honest I had a really nice time. Louis made me crack every two minutes with his easy humor and Niall's laugh was contagious. Zayn was sat right across from me and he was a really fun guy too! I wasn't expecting it, but he could fake this really funny accent and kept yelling "Vas Hapennin'" every time Louis made a joke. Liam was more laid back, he seemed to prefer just watching us having a laugh instead of joining us, either way, I was fine with it.

When we reached dessert Louis seemed a bit off, and then I noticed he was paying attention to Harry, who was sitting across from him, but had his back to us. He was talking to an older woman, I think she was the photographer's assistant, but I wasn't sure.

Apparently Louis saw me looking at Harry, because he said "Look, I know he may seem like a bad guy, but he really isn't. Harry is not the type to let his feelings show, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have any. I know you don't think you'd like him, but I think you should give him a chance…". I didn't know what to say to him. I should give Harry a chance? Perhaps, but how would I do that? He obviously noticed I don't like him, so now he probably doesn't like me either. And I was never good at making friends to begin with. "I don't know how to do that", I admitted quietly.

"Oh, I know just the right thing! What would you say we went out partying this Friday? Because we're going to Germany tomorrow, but we'll be back Friday morning, it would be perfect!"

"What would be perfect?" Zayn asked, now using his normal voice

And Louis answer caught everyone's attention: "WE'RE GOING PARTYING!"

After lunch I stayed for a couple more hours, but when the boys started to take photos Maxine came and told me I wasn't needed anymore, and was free to leave. She also hinted that Braxley was very happy with my work, so I would probably be hired. Could things get any more perfect?

* * *

><p><em>Tuesday, 4pm, Kat and Mel's flat<em>

The flat was dark and warm as I walked inside, still in a bit of a haze with everything that had happened. In the course of a few hours I had met 5 of the most famous guys, recorded an interview, had lots of fun, actually made new friends, _and_ got a job. A job! If Mel hadn't made me go with her…

Oh no. Mel. I completely forgot about her. I am the worst friend in the world! I grabbed my phone and saw: 5 missed calls. Fuck.

* * *

><p><em>Tuesday, 5pm, London's hospital<em>

Luckily I was Mel's emergency contact. Both her parents lived in Yorkshire now so she had thought better to have someone who lived near. Well, luckily for me, because those missed calls were from the hospital, so I already knew where to find her. Not so luckily for her, considering what a terrible friend I was. I should have checked my phone earlier…

Arriving at the hospital the doctor gave me a judging look, probably wondering why anyone would choose such a bad emergency contact. He did explain to me that Mel had fainted because of malnourishing, and asked me if I was aware that my friend seemed to be developing anorexia. I could not have been any more shocked. I felt so bad for Mel. She probably thought that she had to lose weight in order to give her career an upgrade.

I sat beside her bed waiting for her to wake up. It should be any minute now, according to the doctors. While I did so, I carefully examined her features, her soft blond hair, noticing for the first time how it seemed to lack its usual shine. Her tanned skin gave her a healthier look, but I learned that looks could be deceiving. Oh gosh, I just wanted her to wake up. I wanted to know she was fine, so that I could slap her back into sanity. Anorexia? Really? She knew how dangerous that was. She worked alongside models all day and that should have been a warning. I still remembered when she came home crying because one of the models that worked with her, Jenna, had died. Apparently Jenna hadn't been eating for the past two months. How she managed to survive even that was beyond me.

I saw her eyelids flutter, and then open. I let out a sigh. Only then I realized I was crying.


	3. let's have a chat

chapter three: let's have a chat

_Wednesday, 4pm, somewhere in Berlin_

I was walking through the streets of Berlin, trying to not be noticed. It worked for about half an hour, until I started to hear girls screaming:

"It's Harry Styles! HARRY STYLES!" followed by some more yelling. I let out a sigh. Today was not my best day, I really wasn't in the mood to take a billion photos and sign stuff and pretend that I didn't notice when a girl caressed me in an inappropriate way. I loved my job – singing, performing in front of millions of people, spending time with 4 of my best mates – and sometimes it was funny to see how the girls could get all worked up just because of me, but now was not one of those times.

"Harry, will you take a photo with me?"

I turned around and saw an incredibly beautiful girl, holding out a camera.

"Of course babes" I winked. She seemed like she was about to faint. Funny how I would never be able to get a girl like this back on the pre x-factor days. And now, I say three words and boom, she's mine. Well, at least she would be, if I wanted her to.

After what seemed like an eternity of flashes and smiles, I took a cab (wasn't gonna risk being found again), and went back to the hotel. I immediately went to the room I was sharing with Louis, kinda hoping he wouldn't be there. I just wanted some sleep.

This really wasn't my lucky day though: I get in and see that not only Louis is here, but all the other boys are too. Niall was texting on his phone; Zayn, Liam and Louis were playing Xbox. When he saw me, Louis yelled "CURLY! COME PLAY WITH US! NIALL IS TOO BUSY WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND TO HAVE FUN WITH HIS MATES!" I couldn't help but smile a bit, it is Louis after all, he has this effect on me. Well, on everyone really.

"I already told you I'm not talking to Alisha you dumbass, she's in her art class right now."

"Uuuu, Niall's got a lover! Who is she Nialler? I'm telling you, I'm gonna warn Alisha! She needs to take better care of her man!" I joked. Niall blushed and laughed. His laugh was like a kid's, and lifted my mood immediately.

"She isn't my lover, it's Kat, you remember her right? The interviewer from yesterday?"

Oh I remembered her alright. I didn't like her.

"I don't know why you guys are so interested in being friends with her" I said

"Why _not_ be friends with her? She's hot! And she's nice too!" Zayn jumped in the conversation

"Nice to you, you mean" I mumbled, and I knew that they heard it, just chose to ignore it. I could see Louis giving me one of his looks. I sighed. I knew he was going to pull off a Liam and be all _daddy_ _direction_ the second we were alone together.

Later that day, when all the boys had already left, and I was already lying in bed, Louis decided to start a conversation

"Harry? You awake?"

"Yeah mate"

"Wanna talk about something?"

No. No I don't.

"Sure, what do you want to talk about?"

"You know. Kat. Why you're so down lately. Those things"

"Look Louis, I know you think I'm devastated because of her or whatever, but truth is I didn't even think of her until Niall mentioned her… And I'm not down, I'm just tired. You know, jet lag and stuff"

He laughed a bit, then said "Yeah, jet lag, because Germany is like, what, an hour away from England? Two? Don't try to lie to me curly, you know you can't."

Fuck. This is the problem with having such a deep connection with someone. It's impossible to lie to them, and they know it.

Truth is, I wasn't sad because of her specifically, just a bit angry at this whole situation, like, she doesn't even know me, and she hates me. Like, what have I done to her? The answer is nothing. Absolutely nothing. And the fact that the boys, especially Niall, were being friendly with her didn't help me much.

"I just, she was rude to me for no reason, and instead of backing me up, you were all friendly with her, and now you're going out together? It's not really…fair, you know?"

"Harry, I talked to her, she did seem sorry for being rude, that's why we're going out together, so that you two can be friends, I think you'd like her, she's funny, and let's not forget those_ legs_."

"Oh not _you _too"

He laughed again, this time louder, and said "I am a man after all"

* * *

><p><em>Wednesday, 10am, Kat and Mel's flat<em>

I was sat at my computer desk, searching the word "anorexia" on Google. Yeah.

I stumbled upon several websites, half talked about the dangers of anorexia, half gave tips on how to pursue it. None taught me how to deal with an anorexic friend. I sighed. This wasn't going to be easy. Eventually I just gave up, and went to Mel's room to wake her up. I thought we could go to the park take a walk, and hopefully talk about this whole situation.

I looked down to where she was sleeping so peacefully. The doctors said she had been lucky. Her body gave a warning before things got out of hand. They had hope for her. She was going to spend two months having psychological assistance at a local clinic, and I was to make sure she was eating properly.

"Mels, wanna go to the park? I thought we could go for a walk, you know, get the sun over our heads"

She stirred, then opened her eyes, "Hmmm, what?"

"The park Mels, wanna go to the park?"

I guess she knew I wasn't really giving her a choice, and she was never one to run from her problems anyway, so she said "Sure, just gonna get ready…"

It was a warm summer morning, so when we stepped out of our building and into the street we were graced by the sun, but there was also a breeze that kept the weather from being too hot. We headed east, to the park. It was full already, of kids playing, mothers and fathers, couples, athletes doing their morning jogs. We sat at our usual bench, and I couldn't contain myself anymore

"Anorexia Mels? Anorexia? Really? Don't you remember what happened to Jenna and that other girl you knew? You saw what it did to them, you knew how dangerous it was, why did you do this to yourself?"

She breathed heavily and didn't answer me straight away, it did seemed like she was going to, like she was just organizing her thoughts for a second, so I waited

"I know Kat. I know I was being silly and stupid and I don't know what made me do it. I guess I just thought I was smarter than the other girls, and wouldn't let the situation get out of control. I thought I could lose weight, and still be alright, I thought it would never happen to me, the dangerous parts I mean, so I just did it. It was surprisingly easy, and when I started to see the results, I mean, I lost weight so quickly, and then Braxley told me I was getting my big break, I didn't think it was a coincidence, I thought it was a reward. So I kept doing it.

"And I know it was wrong, and I am so sorry I got you worried about me, but I'm here, and I'm fine now, and I won't do it anymore. So, can we please just move on from this? I really want to hear about your day with One Direction, I want all the details!"

I smiled, I'm not a fool, I knew this wouldn't be over so quickly, but she had already recognized it was a mistake, there was no reason to keep dwelling on it, so I just followed her change of subject. I had made plans to go out with One Direction after all.

"Oh Mels, I have so much to tell you! But I'd like to cut to the chase first and just tell you that we are going to a party with them on Friday!"

* * *

><p><em>Friday, 4pm<em>

New text – from Louis

_Kat dear we just moved the party to our flat, I'm sending you the address, see you in a bit! xx_

New text – from Kat

_Can I bring a friend? You'll like her, promise! xx_

New text – from Louis

_The more the better! I'll like her huh? __We'll see about that! xx_


	4. shots

chapter four: shots

_Friday, 11pm_

As we pulled over, I could already hear the loud music coming from the building. I wondered how the neighbors were allowing this. We went in and then Zayn was the one to open the door for us (he already seemed to be a bit drunk). I had to say, when Louis said "flat" he was obviously delusional. This was a penthouse, with a huge balcony, and all the furniture had been cleared out, to make room for a dance floor. Also, the people: I'd never seen such gathering of stunning human beings, it was quite overwhelming, and even though I had dressed up for the occasion (a white top, a metallic skirt and nude pumps), I still felt a bit out of place compared to everyone else.

I turned my attention back to Zayn, who was still there, looking at Mel, a smile on his beautiful lips. "Hey there girls, looking good…"

It didn't even surprise me: Mel always had this effect on guys. If you consider that she was a model after all, it did made sense. Besides, she was looking gorgeous in her new dress (it was metallic blue, with long sleeves and super short), and to think the girl was in the hospital four days ago! She was looking back at him; oh gosh I was being a third wheel. I introduced them and then quickly made my way over to where I saw Niall carrying several beer bottles.

"Hi there! Need help with those?"

"Kat! Hey! Wow, you look great! Um, no, don't worry, I can handle it… have you seen Liam? I've been looking for him everywhere"

"Sorry, I just got here, only saw Zayn…"

"It's okay, let me know if you find him ey? I'm sorry Kat but these are kinda heavy so, if you don't mind"

"Oh no, don't worry, it's fine! I'll go try and find Liam for you"

"Thanks!"

I was standing there, thinking how in hell I would find Liam in that sea of people, when I hear someone screaming my name:

"Kat? KAAAAAAAT!" I turn around and see Louis running in my direction, arms stretched out as if to hug me, it was quite adorable. He was so obviously drunk, I laughed and said "HI LOU!", hugging him in the process. Only then I noticed Harry by his side.

"Hi Harry", I said, and smiled, trying to be friendly.

"Hey" was his answer, and a nod. Okay then, someone's a bit moody today. And handsome. Okay what is going on with me? This is Harry for christ's sake. I ignored him and my weird thoughts as I tried to focus on whatever it was that Louis was saying…

"…and we thought, what a great idea it would be! Because we have a pool here, see, CAN YOU SEE THE POOL? Oh no, never mind, wrong floor, but THE POOL IS RIGHT OVER OUR HEADS KAT! So, we thought, it would be a GREAT idea! Because, because then we could USE the pool! And have a POOL PARTY! Isn't it wonderful! ISN'T IT A WONDERFUL IDEA KAT?"

Drunk!Louis is the funniest Louis, I swear "Yeees Lou, brilliant idea!"

Liam joined us "Kat! Hey there, how are you?"

"I'm great Liam, thanks, and you guys? How was Germany?"

"Wonderful, I wish we hadn't left", Harry answered. Ugh he was really getting on my nerves. I was trying to be friendly and make conversation, and there he was, being all arrogant and a party pooper. I bet he thought he could do that just because he was handsome. I ignored his snotty little comment and changed the subject.

"Oh, almost forgot, Liam, Niall was looking for you, it seemed important… he was making his way to the kitchen I think? Right over there-"

"Thanks Kat, I better go and see what it is…I hope you enjoy the party!"

I smiled a bit, it amazed me what a gentlemen Liam was. I could feel a bit of an awkward silence coming and it's not like Harry was even _trying_ to be nice to me, so I decided it was time to find something else to do

"Ok guys I think I'm gonna go grab a drink and find Mels"

"Mels... your _friend_ Mels? The one I would like? _That_ friend Mels? Where _is_ she? I WANT TO _MEET_HER!"

"Whoa calm down Lou! She was talking to Zayn in the living room"

"ZAYN! DON'T STEAL MY GIRL!" Louis said, well, actually, _yelled_, while he ran to where Zayn and Mel were standing.

Only problem is, with Louis gone, I was left alone with Harry. Fuck, I hated these situations. Especially because he seemed to be in _such_ _a_ _good mood_ today.

"So…" I started to say, but then he cut me off and said "I'm gonna go stay over there and talk to my friends, have fun"

And he left me there, standing in the middle of the backyard, alone. He didn't even give me an excuse! That fucker. If he thought he could ruin my party, oh he could not be more wrong.

My mind was numb as I took yet another sip of my drink, what was it again? Hmm, couldn't recognize, but I bet it was vodka soda. I always drank vodka soda. I was dancing with Mel and Louis was there too, only he wasn't really _dancing_, he was more like jumping up and down. There was another guy with us as well, but I couldn't remember his name –Andy? Mandy? No, Mandy is a girl's name! It was probably Andy then.

LMFAO's Shots was blasting on the speakers, and Mel and I shared a look. No matter how drunk we were, this was _our_ song. We would always dance like there was no tomorrow to it, no matter what. As we moved our bodies to the beat, I felt Andy (I'm now assuming that was his name) slide his hands into my hips, and start to, well, feel me up. I wouldn't normally mind – not at my state of inebriation – but he was keeping me from doing my signature moves! That made me really annoyed with him, so I just freed myself with the "I have to go to the bathroom" excuse and went outside, to the balcony.

It was cold there, which immediately made my mind clearer. I could distinguish sounds now – like, conversations and stuff. There was a ginger guy talking to Harry, but he kept his voice low so I couldn't understand what he was saying; there was Niall and Liam chatting with a beautiful girl (I wonder which one was interested in her – I bet it was Niall, he was standing closer to her and kept looking at her as if she was the sun – it was really sweet to be honest); several gorgeous models (at least they looked like models) sitting on a sofa, looking blasé and pretending like the party was so indifferent to them. Well, considering my options…

"Hey guys!" I said to Niall and Liam and the mysterious girl

"Heeey Kat, I thought you were inside, dancing, with Louis and Andy!" Oh so his name _was_ Andy!

"Yeaah, but I needed to clear my head a bit, also, it was too hot in there"

Niall smiled, then seemed to remember the girl next to him "Oh, sorry, this is Alisha, she's my girlfriend." So he _was_ with her! But anyways, I was happy for Niall - they seemed like a great couple and she obviously made him happy, considering the huge smile plastered across his face.

"Hi Alisha, it's so nice to meet you!"

"Hi! Oh can I just say, I've been staring at your shoes for the entire party, they are gorgeous!"

"Oh, these? Thank you so much!" I liked her, she was nice. Unlike some people.

Okay so, the Harry situation. Louis practically threw this party so that Harry and I could get along, and I tried, I _really_ did, I even smiled at him! And he was a dick. So that was a dead end for me. Oh but I shouldn't be thinking of Harry right now. Liam was saying something.

"-And I know Louis usually buys all the booze and it's usually way more than necessary but this time he really overdid it, I mean, I don't think we could drink all that even if we threw _ten_ parties"

"Yeaaah buddie, but I'm not complaining, look, the party is awesome! Everyone is having a great time!" was Niall's answer. Yeah buddie? Omg, I loved this kid.

" 'ELLO ERRBODYY! I NOW OFFICIALLY DECLARE SHOTS TIME! EVERYONE GRAB A CUP!" Louis was very, very excited, so Niall, Alisha and even Liam took cups… I wondered if Harry was drunk, perhaps he would like me better if he was, oh no but wait, why am I thinking of Harry again? I immediately grabbed a cup too, his face still on my mind as I drank it all at once, and then again, and then again…

* * *

><p><em>Saturday, 3pm<em>

I woke up with my phone vibrating, the massive headache already making me want to kill myself for drinking so much last night. I typed in my password and then saw I had three new messages:

New text – from Niall

_Hey Kat… I know youre probably still asleep but give me a call whenever you wake up ey?_

New text – from Liam

_Kat pls call me when u wak up… need to talk abt last nigt_

New text – from Harry

_We need to talk._

Holy. Fuck.


	5. the hangover  part one: memories

**I know, I know, I delayed publishing this one for quite some time but at least it's the longest chapter so far! Truth is, life's been so complicated these past two weeks I didn't have time to finish the chapter! I'd been stuck at 1000 or so words for the past week basically. If anyone reading this is brazilian, will understand me better, when I say that universities' selection process was driving me insane. But anyways here it is! Again a Harry's POV chapter - I hope it's something you all enjoy! Also, a bit of timey-whimey flashback stuff so try to keep up with it!**

**Anyways, enjoy :)**

**xx**

**ps.: if the swearing is a bit too american-like, I'm really sorry about it, but I just don't know any british guys to know what kind of swearing they use! (feel free to introduce me some if you want though lol)**

* * *

><p>chapter five: the hangover - part one: memories<p>

_Saturday, 7am at the penthouse_

I couldn't sleep. The events of the previous night, well, actually, the events of a couple of hours ago, were keeping me awake. I could feel my head pounding, but it had nothing to do with alcohol. In fact, I had almost nothing to drink (which was rare). No, this was no hangover. It was her. Pure her.

_By the time the clock hit eleven pm, Louis and Zayn were already drunk, Niall was with Alisha and Liam was socializing… which means I ended up being the one in charge of letting people inside the building through the buzzer. When I saw her through the security camera… of course I'd already noticed how beautiful she was, ever since the first time I saw her, but yesterday… oh man yesterday she looked like a fucking goddess._

_I told Zayn to get the door, as I went in search for Louis. He was drunk, yeah, but I needed to calm down before I saw her again…Louis would distract me until then. At least that was the plan. He was trying, and drunk!Louis never failed to make me laugh and forget everything else, but I kept throwing glances at the door. I saw her as she walked in with her friend by her side. The friend was beautiful (I bet Zayn was already hitting on her), but Kat, holy fuck. I wasn't expecting being so turned on by the mere sight of her._

_Lou had been so drunk already… as he saw her, he immediately started to scream her name… and I wanted to carve a hole and hide away. What was wrong with me? I'm never like this. And then she saw me, and fucking smiled and said "Hi Harry" in that perfect rough voice. And in that moment I hated her. Because truth is I didn't hate her before, I just got angry because she was all arrogant and rude, but now, that she was being nice and looked like that, I did hate her. So much. Why did she have to make me want her like that? I could have any girl in the party, _and_ their moms too, and I wanted the only one that I knew I didn't have a single chance with. Fuck._

_And then I was a dick. I could see her getting angry as I said I was going to go talk to my friends (I was basically saying she wasn't my friend – which, even though true, is also kinda mean). As I walked away, I knew I had been incredibly rude, leaving her alone like that, even because she probably didn't know anyone apart from the boys, but I just couldn't take it, I couldn't keep looking at her._

_A few hours later Louis decided to go dance. And I would normally be totally up for that, but I wasn't in the mood right now. It could have something to do with the fact that she was dancing… anyways, that's when I went looking for Ed. Ed (Sheeran) is probably my closest friend outside the band, he's just so calm and smart but funny too, I really like him. He was sitting outside, just chilling, typical him. As I approached, he immediately said:_

"_What's going on Harry?"_

"_What do you m-"_

"_Why are you here, sitting outside, completely sober and with that look on your face?"_

_He could read me like a book. I could have made up an excuse but I knew he'd know I was lying, so I just told him everything: "Well there's this girl and we didn't like each other at first but now she's here and she looks amazing and she was actually nice to me so I was a dick, don't even ask me why, I don't know, and now she's inside dancing with my friends and I don't know what to do because she'll never want me…and I couldn't stop thinking about her ever since she got here"_

_He threw me a sympathetic look, "Harry mate, you do know that the only reason she will never want you is because you're making sure she doesn't right? I mean, you said so yourself… you acted like a dick, you're 'pushing her away' as a girl would say"_

"_I know, but it's just, it's a pride thing okay? I can't just, just…She was rude first, so I won't go there and apologize or anything…" ugh I sounded like a five-year-old._

"_But Harry, you said she was nice to you today"_

"_Yeah but-"_

"_You know I'm right"_

_I sighed. I knew he was. But it wasn't so simple. I couldn't just go up there and fucking pretend like we were best fucking friends and try to kiss her or whatever. First because she was probably pissed at me, and second because she would probably just punch me in the face or something. I looked at her - she was dancing like she didn't have a care in the world, and that fucking asshole of Louis' friend, Andy, was feeling her up. I immediately got up and was about to go there and punch that fucking idiot, but then she freed herself from him and walked outside._

_Ed noticed and glanced at her direction "Mate, I don't know what you did to that girl, but go there and make amends because she is definately worth hurting your pride over". I could see her scanning the balcony, probably looking for a familiar face, and then she turned around and went in Niall's direction. OH FOR FUCKS SAKE. It's not like he's even available! I mean, I know Niall is a really nice chap and everything, but why was she so interested in being friends with him? Like, why wasn't she interested in me for example?_

_And that's when Louis showed up. He had a bunch of shots with him. I'm not going to be all moralist and be like "girls shouldn't drink", but everyone took one and she took like, what? 4? 5? In a row. I immediately started to worry about her. This was not going to end up well._

I decided to send her a text. I knew she'd probably be asleep now, but I just wanted to make sure she'd call me as soon as she woke up. I went to Louis' bedroom, completely ignoring his privacy, scanning for his cellphone. I didn't have her number but I was sure he did (I'm sure Niall had her number too but I wouldn't risk walking on him and his girlfriend). I found it, and couldn't help smiling at his screensaver – it was a photo of me – but then I remembered to focus and find her number. Once I did, I ran back to my room, feeling a bit like a 14 year old, nervous because he was about to call the girl he liked. Well, except I did not like Kat, it was just a physical attraction - oh who the hell was I kidding?

_I didn't notice I was by her side up until she let out a "LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!" and Liam and I shared a look – he too was worried about her. She seemed to be as drunk as Louis now._

"_LET'S TAKE THE PARTY TO THE POOL!" Louis suddenly shouted. Oh no. That was possibly the worst idea he could ever have in this situation._

"_Lou I don't think that's the best id-" Liam tried._

"_WOOOHOOO! LET'S GO LOU! COME ON LIAM, DON'T BE ALL _FATHER_!" she said to Liam… it would have been funny, because Liam is all daddy direction all the time, but this time it really was a bit of a dangerous situation – I mean, letting several drunks inside a pool at night is definitely a terrible idea._

_They ran from us, leading half the party upstairs, to the roof, where there was also the pool._

"_Fuck. How the hell are we supposed to control this?" I said to Liam, half expecting him to have a miraculous idea that would keep everyone safe._

"_I don't know mate, but I guess staying here won't help"_

_We followed them to the rooftop, Louis already wearing nothing but his boxers. Several girls were inside the pool already, their make-ups ruined because of the water. I scanned the room searching for Kat. I found her near a table, undressing… _

"_What are you doing?" I asked_

"_It's none of your business. Why the hell do _you_ care anyway?" she was nearly shouting._

"_I just don't want to have to drive a stupid fucking drunk to the hospital, especially if that drunk is _you_." I left out the part that I wouldn't want it to be her because I couldn't imagine seeing her get hurt; I knew she probably thought I just didn't want to have to take care of her._

"_NO ONE IS ASKING YOU TO TAKE FUCKING CARE OF ME OKAY? I'M A GROWN UP! I CAN MAKE MY OWN DECISIONS THANK YOU VERY MUCH"_

"_IF YOU'RE SO FUCKING GROWN UP THEN WHY THE HELL DON'T YOU_ACT_ LIKE ONE? FOR FUCKS SAKE, STOP UNDRESSING!" she was wearing nothing but her lingerie now, it was white, lacey and sexy as hell. It was giving me inappropriate thoughts._

_I took off my blazer and gave it to her, so that she wouldn't be such a temptation anymore. Of course she just waved it away and started to make her way to the pool. And _fuck_, the girl knows how to walk… I could not keep watching it for long without having serious urges, but I quickly brushed those away as I tried to regain control of the situation._

"_You know what? This is why I hate you." I said_

_She immediately turned around, as I hoped she would "What did you just say?" wow that was a dangerous tone._

"_You heard me" yeaah, fighting was working. If only she wasn't wearing _that_. It made me feel like this was foreplay or something._

"_YOU YOU CUNT! HOW- HOW _DARE_ YOU SAY YOU HATE ME? YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW ME! JUST BECAUSE I'M NOT ONE OF THOSE EASILY IMPRESSIONABLE STUPID GIRLS AND I DIDN'T FALL FOR YOUR...FOR YOUR..." she seemed to last track of thought for a moment "UGH NEVERMIND JUST," she came closer to me, I could almost touch her "you're such a fucking asshole" she seemed a bit… aroused?_

_And then it happened – she kissed me. Obviously I reciprocated the kiss: my hands finding my way to her hips. I muffled a groan – she was a great kisser. Also the fact that she had nothing but lingerie on wasn't helping me conceal my desire for her. If she noticed, she didn't seem to care. I let my lips trail down her collarbone, and her hands went through my hair. And then she froze. She immediately pushed me away, throwing me one last surprised look while she grabbed her clothes and stormed off, her friend calling after her._

* * *

><p><em>Saturday, 11am at the penthouse<em>

I heard noises downstairs – Liam probably… I missed talking to Liam, sometimes I felt like ever since he got closer to Niall he and I just weren't as close anymore. I didn't like that. And besides, I could use some daddy advices. Running down the corridor I found him sitting on the sofa, eating some cereal while watching old cartoons. I couldn't help but smile, he could be so child-like sometimes.

"Hey Li"

He looked away from the telly, and threw me a smile "Hey Hazza! I didn't think I'd see you up anytime soon"

"Oh, well, actually, I didn't really sleep"

"What? You-you didn't sleep?"

"Nah, too much stuff going through my mind"

"Oh, I see…" he seemed to debate whether or not to ask me about it… "Wanna talk about it?"

"Actually, yeah, I do"

So I told him about Kat, and my, well, feelings for her, and about the kiss… he told me he'd seen it, that we looked good together. Asked what was it that I did to make her run away like that… which I had no answer to. In the end he basically said he'd try to help me win her over and I hugged him. It was nice being like this with Liam. I'd missed it.

* * *

><p><strong>Uuuu finally some interaction between the two! So, were you surprised at all to find out Kat and Harry kissed? And what the hell was she doing running away? It's Hazza! If he wants to kiss you, you should be on your knees thanking the gods Kat you silly girl!<strong>

**As always, thoughts/comments/suggestions review or message me on tumblr (zaynies), I _really_ love feedback okay guys?**

**I can't promise the next chapter will be up this year still, but I will try my best, promise! I might find some time in the week between christmas and new year's but I'm not sure, because I still have one last test on January and I really need to study for it!**

**Anyways, thanks for reading lovelies :)**

**xx**


	6. the hangover  part two: unfinished busi

**i'm terrible, yes, i know. i was away from the fandom for a while, some personal shit got in the way and everything, but i'm back now**

**i'm not sure i'll be able to post as regularly as i was before, but i think at least once every two weeks is a reasonable goal. **

**anyways, enjoy :)**

* * *

><p>chapter six – memories – part two: unfinished business<p>

_Saturday, 3pm, Kat's room_

I tried to remember the previous night. I remembered arriving, Zayn hitting on Mel, Louis drunk, Harry being a bitch as usual… Harry. Oh no… hmm, there was something important about Harry... I remember he looked amazing. And smelled nice. And running my fingers through his soft curls as I felt his hands on my back, gripping me tightly… wait, what?

Oh, _fuck_. I kissed him. _I_ kissed _him_. He must be feeling pretty fucking smug about that. I fought the urge to go back to sleep and stay there, for like, a year. I just felt so _humiliated_, even though I knew I kind of didn't have a huge reason to be feeling like that. I mean, he _did_ kiss me back at least. And I was the one to stop the kiss, so maybe I still had a bit of self-respect.

I didn't really know what to do. I tried to consider my options: pretend I didn't remember a thing about last night, blame it on the alcohol and just act like nothing ever happened maybe? Or I could just never speak to any of them again, that would work.

Or I could just stop being such a pussy and face this. Ugh. I hated knowing that the last option was the only one I could ever go through with.

I groaned, loudly, and apparently – unfortunately – Mel was passing by and heard me.

"Kat honey, are you awake? Can I come in?"

I grumbled something, which I guess she took it as a yes, because she entered the room, a cautious expression on her face.

"Good morning… how are you feeling? Hey, here, I brought you something for the pain"

I was so grateful for that, my head was already beginning to weight a lot more than you'd expect a head to weight, and the small light coming through the door was making it feel even worse. I mumbled a "thank you" and she sat next to me on the bed. Ugh, god no, I do _not_ want to talk to her right now. It was already annoying enough that she never got hung over, no matter how much she drank; I did_ not_ need to talk to her. All I needed was to lie on my bed, and _stay_ there.

"Ok, I know you must be in pain and everything and well, god knows you kinda deserve it, after your little stunt yesterday – I mean, why would you even get so drunk? You were always a party girl, hell I'm a party girl too, but you were never _completely out of control_ like you were last night. What _the fuck _happened?"

"Mels can't we have this conversation later? Like, when my head is feeling less like it's about to explode?"

All I got as a response was a glare. And I know that might not seem a big deal but, dude, Mel can get pretty scary when she's mad.

"And what was that thing with you and Harry anyway?"

Nooo, please don't talk about that Mels, please please please.

"I don't really want to talk about it" I replied shyly, fully aware of the fact that she was not going to let me get away with it so easily.

"Katherine Josephine Mellart, you _will_ talk about it. Right. Now."

_Who needs to live with their moms when they can live with Mels instead_, I though bitterly. Come on, the full-name-calling was _low_. Especially when your middle name is _Josephine_.

I sighed. There was really not an easy way out of this "Okay _Melissa_. We'll talk, but, and I swear I'm not just stalling, I just really need to take a bath right now, my head is _hurting_. Can I take a bath and then we'll talk? Pretty please?"

"Fine, I'll be waiting for you in the kitchen"

* * *

><p><em>Saturday, 4pm, the kitchen<em>

"… and I guess I just realized who it was that I was kissing, because no one else has hair like that, I'm sure of it, so I just… left."

"Was the kiss any good?"

"Mel. Don't. Seriously…. Ok so maybe it was what one would call good but I mean I can't just separate body and mind, I mean, the kiss was physically um, '_good_', but, I mean, we kinda hate each other, at least he hates me, _I'm _not so sure, no wait, I mean, of course I hate him too, that's what you do when someone hates you right? You hate them back and-"

"BREATHE WOMAN"

"Oh, yeah, ok, sorry" I was beginning to freak out. Truth is, I haven't been with a guy in a _long _time. I just didn't think I could trust them, the males, let any of them close enough. I'd just get hurt, like always…. So after a while, I just stopped trying, and gave up. But now, here I was, not only kissing a guy, but kissing one that _hates_ me. And to be honest, I didn't know how to feel about him. I mean, he had all that "player" sort of attitude, with the smiles and the compliments and stuff, but on the two times I've seen him, I've also seen that he could be caring, so whenever I thought about him, I'd have mixed feelings.

Oh and I almost forgot about the text messages.

"What do I do Mels, you've always been the one who knew how to deal with guys – do I answer their messages? Or should I just ignore Harry's? Should I pretend I lost my phone or something?"

"Okay, calm down, look, I don't know, I think you should answer them, because, well, at least Niall and Liam, they've always been nice to you right? Ignoring them would be rude. And Harry, well, do you want to kiss him again? Because I kinda think you do"

I protested, but she was right – not about Harry! - but about Niall and Liam. I took my phone and began typing. But, really, I was just being polite. I had no interest in kissing Harry again, like, no interest _at all_.

New text – for Niall: _Hey nialler! I'm awake now, what do you want to talk to me about?_

New text – for Liam: _Niall just sent me the same thing! what about last night?_

New text – for Harry: _Harry? talk? umm, sure I guess, should I call you?_

Ok so maybe I was playing dumb a bit. But I seriously had no idea what to do or say and _I can't even imagine me talking to them on the phone_, like, I just can't.

* * *

><p><em>Saturday, 5pm, press conference room<em>

"So, Harry, what are the plans for this new album?"

I groaned internally. "_We_'ve been thinking a lot about which direction to take.." I flashed a smile, I knew how cheesy it was to make puns like that but for some reason I kept making them "…and we definitely want to keep it young and fresh, but we're going to take it to 'the next level' and make this album incredible." Great. Words that meant nothing.

I was bitter today. First, I am tired. I didn't sleep at all since yesterday, and it's taking its toll on me. Then, we go to a stupid meeting with management and they're all like "Guys, you are a _boyband_, you are _pop_. It's been working incredibly well so far so let's keep it at that ok?" in a condescending tone. Then, to top it off, we have a _press conference_, and all the questions are the same questions we've been answering since 2010. I wanted to get out of this stupid conference already and just check my phone. What if she's tried to call me already?

Finally I hear Paul (he's our manager by the way) saying that we had to go, thanked everyone, etcetera etcetera etcetera bla bla bla and we were finally allowed to go back home. As soon as we're in the car, I immediately check my phone (but, to be fair, I wasn't the only one – all of us did) and I see that I have 4 new messages.

From Mum_ – Miss you dear xx_

From Sean_ – hey mate wanna hang out 2nite?_

From Kylie_ – Hi haz! Party at mine on Friday! I miss you babe! xx_

From Kat - _Harry? talk? umm, sure I guess, should I call you?_

"Harold, anything important you want to share? Any interesting… messages? From… interesting… people?" Louis had a mischievous smile on his face. Oh god. For someone who had drunk half of the kingdom's vodka supply yesterday, Louis was in great shape. Also, the little bastard had an incredibly detailed memory of the party, and wouldn't leave me alone with the whole _kiss _thing. He was _loving _the idea of me and Kat (not that it would ever be anything more than an idea), and felt "just like a matchmaker", only he was "so great that he managed to 'matchmake' while drunk and not even trying".

I could feel all the boys looking at me now, waiting for a reply, an explanation, _something_. It was always like this in our car rides. Bloody hell, I might as well tell them.

"ok, this is what's going on…"

* * *

><p><em>Saturday, 5pm, the mall<em>

"I want to go hooooome" I keep whining non-stop, hoping I could annoy Mel to the point of defeat. He hasn't called yet. All I want to do is go home and sleep. My head still aches from drinking the previous night. And he hasn't called yet.

"Stop being annoying. Just shut up and help me."

Following the news of Harry's text, Mel simply stated that Zayn Malik had asked her out on a date, and she needed a new dress for it. Just like _that_, as if it were no big deal. I swear I could slap her sometimes. Zayn Malik! If I had to be completely honest, I'd have to say that I don't think she should be going out with him – not only is she in a fragile state, but he's got _player _written all over him -, _but_, she seems pretty excited about it, and we can't ignore the fact that he's gorgeous, and-

My phone rings.

Holy fucking shit please be him. Or not. Actually yes. Please be him. Oh god I'm so nervous.

It's him.

"Hello, Kat?" his voice seems even rougher than usual, not to mention the perfection that is his accent. Oh god, I seriously need to control myself. Trying to keep my voice even, I answer "Hi, it's me… Harry? How are things?"

"Hey, um, yeah, we had a busy day but we're just chilling at the flat right now…" His tone is awkwardly formal, the way one would speak to their friend's mother or something. Definitely not how you talk to someone you kissed less than 24 hours ago. Oh well, I guess I can't exactly blame him.

"So, I know thing have been a bit awkward between us, and I know I said some things… but it doesn't matter anymore, look, the house is full now and I don't really want to have this conversation through the phone, can we maybe meet up somewhere?" he spoke really fast, he seemed nervous about this situation. Good, at least I'm not the only one.

"Sure, where?"

* * *

><p><em>6pm, Lola's Café<em>

I arrived and he was already there, looking amazing in dark jeans and a white shirt. God, he didn't even need to put on effort to look incredible. It was frustrating, but whatever, it's not like I spent almost an hour trying to decide the best outfit and only managed to look ok or anything. It's not like that _at all_.

"Hi Harry"

"Oh, hey! Umm, yeah, take a seat, um, if you, like, want to"

_God, this is going to be a hell of an awkward situation._

"So…" I began to say, but then he cut me off and started a whole monologue, speaking really fast:

"I'm sorry but I just really need to say it or I might chicken and end up not saying it at all. Ever since I first saw you I thought you were beautiful,...

_I'm beautiful? _Harry_ thinks I'm beautiful?_

"… but then you were rude so I just gave up. I meet lots of pretty girls, you see,…

_You meet lots of pretty girls? What the fuck?_

"… so it's not like I have to chase after the first one that appears in front of me…

_Wow. Great for you._

"… but then you became friends with Niall and even Louis so it's not like I could just ignore you or forget you because they talked to you, or about you…

_Oh, boo-hoo, I'm so sorry your friends actually _like me _that you had to _bear _seeing them talking "to" or "about" me._

"…but anyway, I got really angry at you because you were so judgmental so I treated you badly that day at the party…

_You treated me badly? What, like you're treating me badly now?_

"… but if I'm being honest I was thinking about you nonstop during the entire party. I mean, you looked so fit and you were actually treating me like a human being…

_I looked fit. _I looked fit?_ So as long as a girl looks fit then you'll be interested in her, is that what you're saying? Jerk._

"… and then you were drunk and I was so worried about you, I mean, that was an Olympic pool you know? If you'd gotten hurt, I would feel guilty for it…

_Pff. As if._

"… so most of the stuff I said were to distract you, so you wouldn't get into the pool. I really don't hate you. I won't say I never did but I didn't hate you then, and I don't hate you now…

_Oh, you wanted to distract me and the first thing that came into your mind to do that was to say you _hate_ me?_

"… and when you kissed me,…

_*he had the decency to blush a little*_

"… well, it's not like I've never been with a girl before, if you know what I mean, but when you kissed me, wearing only in your underwear and all that, it was incredible. So, yeah, I guess, well, I guess what I wanted to tell you is that I wanted to, I don't know, maybe go on a date?"

_W O W. I was ready to punch him in the face. When _I_ kissed _him_ in my underwear? What, like I'm some kind of desperate "Harry-Styles-please-look-at-me-I-love-you" girl? Like he didn't have a part in this at all, like - if, as he says, I kissed him - he didn't kiss me back? Like I wasn't the one to break the kiss? Like I was the one to text saying "call me"?_

_I wanted to punch myself too. For ever thinking this was a good idea. For ever thinking that the super famous playboy Harry Styles would ever behave like a normal person and would ever actually be interested in someone so "unimportant" like me. I mean, yeah, he was asking me out on a date. Probably so he could fuck me then brag about it to the others: "See that _fit _presenter over there? Yeah, I've nailed her". Ugh._

So I answered the only rational thing: "No, thanks".

I immediately got up to leave. But apparently he wasn't going to let me go so easily.

"Wait, _no_? _What_? Sit _down_, will you at least explain to me why the hell are you saying no to me?"

"Well Harry, I see you're not very familiar to this situation, I mean, all those '_pretty girls_' you're always meeting really don't seem to be the type that you would have to '_chase after_', let alone the type that would actually refuse such a _famous popstar_ like yourself. So let me explain it to you: I do not want to go on a date with you. I do not want to see or speak to you again, for that matter. However, I do admit that, due to my new job as a TV presenter, seeing and talking to you are things that I will _probably_ have to do every now and then. I mean, you're _such_ a famous guy in the _most famous fucking band_ in the_entire fucking world_ aren't you? I bet TV presenters are always interviewing you, you _poor thing_. So that is something I can't prevent. But I will not spend a single second with you unless it's _extremely_ necessary, are we clear?"

And with that, I left.

* * *

><p>"Liam"<p>

"Oh, hey Harry! Tell me, how was your daaaaate?"

"She doesn't want to have anything to do with me."

"Wait, what? That's – that's not possible. She kissed you, we all saw it"

"Well, she doesn't. I'm here at the café right now, she came here, and I told her everything, and she got pissed at me, said she didn't want to have anything to do with me, got up and left."

"Harry, what do you mean by 'I told her everything'?"

"I told her I thought she was beautiful from the first time I saw her, but I got angry at her because she was rude to me. But then she became friends with Niall and Louis so it's not like I would never see her again, and then there was the party, and she was so fit and beautiful and everything, and I got worried when she was drunk and wanted to swim, and it was incredible kissing her, and I wanted to go out on a date. But I really don't think I sounded desperate or anything, I tried to keep cool…"

"Hmm… I really don't see why she got angry, Haz. I'm sorry."

"Me too Li, me too."


End file.
